1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a seat for use in recreational boating and camping and, in particular, to a reversible seat assembly mountable for suspension between the gunwales of a canoe to act as a seat in a first orientation and removable from the canoe to act as a camp stool in a second reverse orientation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the years, recreational canoeists have devised many ways in which to accommodate additional passengers or paddlers in the "duffers" position generally in the center of the canoe adjacent to where the canoe yoke is normally positioned across the gunwales of the canoe. Canoes designed for camping are normally provided with a carrying yoke extending between the gunwales which the canoeist employs when portaging the canoe from one water course to another. Consequently, fixed seats which would interfere with the carrying yoke are not built into such recreational canoes. Consequently, it is necessary when accommodating a passenger in a standard camping canoe to jerry-rig a seating platform off the wet and uncomfortable canoe floor from available camping packs, life jackets and the like, or to temporarily suspend a seat across the gunwales of the canoe. The prior art contains a number of approaches to solving the problem of accommodating a passenger or for setting up the canoe to be rowed with oars.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,459 describes the difficulties and discomforts of conventional carrying yokes. In the 459 patent, an assembly is described which operates in one position as a seat and in a reverse or inverted position as a carrying yoke where the seat elements are a pair of flexible support pads which support the canoe s weight on the canoeist's shoulders and act as shock absorbers during portaging. When positioned as a canoe seat, the support pads are suspended below and between the gunwales, and when reversed and repositioned as a yoke, the pads are positioned above the gunwales a distance to accommodate the canoeist's head between the gunwales.
A number of other canoe seats have been proposed for suspension between the gunwales of a canoe, including those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,387,957, 2,299,278, 3,958,289, and 3,328,811. The '811 patent employs a rigid seat that is suspended by a pair of hooks between the gunwales where the hooks are pivotable to accommodate varying boat widths in a self-adjusting manner. When not in use, the hooks fold onto the platform for storage. The '178 patent also discloses a rigid platform having a width adjustment to accommodate either differing width boats or to allow positioning along the varying width boat length.
A further portable canoe seat is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,208 which employs flexible rope suspension members for supporting a flexible sheet seat between the gunwales of a canoe or boat. The nonrigid structure allows it to be readily removed and rolled up when not in use.
Finally, various systems have been devised to allow a canoe to be rowed, with or without supporting outriggers, such as the canoe seats and oar lock units described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,815,517 and 4,672,911. The combination canoe seats and oar lock units have arms extending outward of the gunwales to support oar locks.
The prior art thus discloses a number of approaches to providing additional seating along the length of a canoe or boat having various advantages and features. I have found that a need remains for a simple and inexpensive rigid canoe and camping seat that may be easily adjusted to accommodate canoes of varying widths or to be moved along the length of the canoe body to facilitate loading camping supplies or to allow one person paddling of a two-person canoe, where the adjustment may be readily accomplished without the use of tools or modification of the canoe's factory construction and the adjusted seat may be easily slipped over and removed from the gunwales of the canoe.
I have also found it desirable to have on hand a portable camp stool to provide dry, comfortable seating in camp. None of the prior art removable canoe seats designed to be temporarily attached to the gunwales of the canoe may be used for seating apart from the canoe itself.